Hard rock in the 1980s was a pretty unique beast. It was an amazing time, if not the best time, for the genre on the radio. And with so many amazing hard rock anthems hitting the airwaves in droves throughout the decade, even diehard fans and 80s kids might have forgotten how much they loved the following three tracks. Let’s refresh your memory.
“Photograph” by Def Leppard from ‘Pyromania’ (1983)
If you haven’t been keeping up with classic rock radio, there’s a chance you might not have heard this gem from Def Leppard in a while. You might have forgotten it, but radio certainly has it. This pop metal hard rock song is one of the band’s most easily recognizable songs, and it was quite the hit back in the day. “Photograph” peaked at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock track in the US for a whopping six weeks. It was a crossover hit, too, at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Joe Elliott’s vocals and Steve Clark’s soaring lead guitar track just hit so good.
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“Tom Sawyer” by Rush from ‘Moving Pictures’ (1981)
On many occasions, prog-rock legends Rush dove into hard rock territory with ease. “Tom Sawyer” is one such hard rock anthem that just can’t be beat. It was a solid hit back in 1981, peaking at No. 8 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US and No. 24 in Canada. Despite not being a “smash” hit, as one would say, “Tom Sawyer” is a favorite among fans. And for good reason. This gem from the band’s early 80s era is a head-banging classic.
“Dr. Feelgood” by Mötley Crüe from ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)
Mötley Crüe closed out the 1980s with a banger of a glam metal hard rock song. The title track from the album of the same name, “Dr. Feelgood” remains the band’s only Certified Gold single of their career. I can see why it did so well. This song is so indicative of its era, blending together classic rock with glam metal that would continue to stay afloat through the early 1990s. There’s a funkiness to the song’s groove, something that would become popular among funk metal bands in the late 1990s and 2000s. “Dr. Feelgood” was ahead of its time, and it’s still nostalgic to 80s kids today.
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